This invention relates generally to antennas intended for mounting on aircraft and the like, and more particularly to an antenna structure having VHF/UHF capability as well as including microwave components for a microwave landing system for providing precise navagational guidance for the landing of aircraft in foul weather such as where the ceiling is less than 100 feet and visibilities less than one quarter of a mile exist.
Blade type aircraft antennas utilized for VHF and UHF communications are well known, a typical example of which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,628, L.J. Dolan, entitled "Broadband Vibration Suppressed Aircraft Blade Antenna." Such an antenna comprises thin electrically conductive surfaces of predetermined patterns fabricated on opposite faces of a lamination of electrically insulating material and being fed by a flat strip coupler connected to a connector at the base of the assembly which mounts to the aircraft. Another example and one having a metal leading edge is disclosed in a publication entitled "A One-Eighth Blade Antenna With Metal Leading Edge," by Makato Ono, et al. published by the 1974 IEEE antennas Propagation Symposium.
It is an object of the present invention therefore to utilize such an antenna for the additional capability of providing an antenna mount for a microwave landing system.
It is also intended that other types of existing antennas such as L-band transponder or DME stubs, leading edge of aircraft control surfaces, and other elements capable of supporting the MLS components may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.